Category: Detox Your Body

Drinking a bowl of cold sweet Ming Mu (or Mung) bean soup everyday is a Chinese habit during the hot summer – it’s a delicious dessert and a “cold” (yin energy) treat to cool down your system in the heat.

Beans are among the super-nutritious foods, and Ming Mu beans especially should be considered as a superfood as they are rich in protein, fiber, good carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and Vitamins A, B and D.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, since Ming Mu beans are “cold” (yin), they help dispel internal heat, clear away toxins, promote urination and relieve hot weather related diarrhea, and skins rashes. Ming Mu Beans are also good for calming the nerves, reinforce the Yuan Qi (Source Qi), relieve tensions around the eyes, improving the eyesight, and nourish the skin.

Where to Get Ming Mu Beans

Local Asian grocery stories. If you are too lazy to make a trip to the stores, you can order it from Amazon.

2. How to Cook Ming Mu Beans

Wash the beans, bring them to a quick boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Done. The soup is clear and green. You can chill the soup in refrigerator and drink the soup and leave the beans.

The second method is for a stronger detoxification. Soak washed beans in hot water for 20 minutes. Then, boil the beans until they are soft and liquid is cloudy. Then eat the beans and the soup (season with a pinch of salt). You can also add honeysuckles(also available on Amazon), then cook for few more minutes. Honeysuckles tea is excellent in alleviating bronchial infections, clear the sore throat, and manage consistent coughing also. Mixing Ming Mu beans and honeysuckles are pretty powerful in purging damp heat from the body.

This helps dispel toxins as these beans are highly diuretic. Eating Ming Mu beans regularly can help relieve high blood pressure, high cholesterol and hardening of the arteries. If you add honeysuckles in the beans, you can add a small amount of honey to alleviate bitter taste.

However, if you are “cold” (too much yin energy), suffer from cold extremities or frequent diarrhea, don’t overdo these beans. They can aggravate the cold and cause other ailments. Also, make sure not to take the beans in less than half an hour before or after taking your medications, and /or herbal supplements.

You will be pleasantly surprised to find out how delicious these Ming Mu beans are.

The organs that correspond with summer are the Heart, and in late summer towards the transition to autumn when the weather is hot and humid, the Spleen. The Kidneys are also their lowest energy point in the cycle and need some support during the summer.

In Chinese medicine, the Heart is considered to be the Emperor of all organs. In other words, all organs are important to make our bodies strong and healthy, but the most important organ of all is still the Heart. The Heart controls the blood circulation and in charge of protecting the blood vessels. In addition, the Heart is directly responsible for our consciousness, sleep, memory functions. The Heart provides a haven for the spirit, commonly known as the Shen (神 –Please note that the character for Shen, the spirit, is the same character referring to God). The Heart is most susceptible to external and internal heat.

Those with healthy heart are well-grounded, not easily overwhelmed by outside influences. When the Heart-Kidney relationship is weak, the Shen escapes from its stable base in the Heart, and moved to the head, where thoughts rush around uncontrolled. Over time, this causes excessive worries, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, and wild dreams.

Those who already have heart-related conditions such as high blood pressures, atrial fibrillation (rapid and irregular heartbeat, fluttering or thumping on the chest, dizziness, shortness of breath, faintness or confusion, fatigue when exercising, etc.), or previous history of stokes need to be extra careful during the hot summer season. In addition to avoiding excessive heat, one needs to adopt a sensible diet, enough rest, and calm attitudes to protect the heart.

The weather of this summer has been nothing but usual: record-breaking burning hot days, and non-stop rain with high humidity forecasted for the next few weeks. These crazy weather patterns seem to be universal all around the globe. Our precious Heart, which has been under so much stress due to an extremely volatile and chaotic energy surrounding this planet, is the most vulnerable during the summer months. Chinese medicine considers Ming Mu beans as one of the most effective remedy in protecting our heart during the summer season.

Basically, you need to inhale through the nose for three seconds, and then exhale aggressively through the mouth for seven seconds, while using the whole body to push out all the air. The two ways proposed by Miki Ryosuke are:

Place one foot in front of your body while placing 90% of your body weight on your back foot. Once you’re in position, breath in for 3 seconds while lifting your arms above your head. Then exhale forcefully to release all the air while contracting all the muscles of your body for 7 seconds, while lowering your arms to your sides.

The second method requires you to stand up straight and tighten the buttocks. Place one hand on your abdomen and another on your lower back. Breath in for 3 seconds, then exhale for 7 seconds while contracting the lower abdomen as strongly as your can.

He proposed 2-10 minutes of these exercises twice a day. Even though his youtube demonstration is only in Japanese, it’s not difficult to understand what he’s trying to say.

The above postures are good for those who suffer from lower back pain. An alternative way to do breathing exercises is that you can stand straight with your legs apart about a hip distance with your knees slightly bent. Inhale for three seconds with your nose, pause for two seconds, then exhale through the mouth forcefully (yes, you can make all kinds of strange sounds). After all the air is completely emptied out, squeeze your core by contracting the muscles around the anus powerfully. The squeezing process can last for 5-7 seconds (personal note: I count from one to 20 while squeezing).

You can incorporate the upper and lower body toning with breathing exercises. For the upper body, while you are squeezing the core, flex your arms to tone the deltoids, or stretch your arms backward to strengthen the triceps while making a fist. If you have chronic shoulder pain, raise both shoulders to the ears, then push the shoulders back while contracting the front and back of the upper arms. You can also strengthen the thigh muscles by leaning onto one leg for few seconds, then change to another leg. As you practice, you will naturally know which area of your body needs stretching, flexing, or squeezing, whether it is your neck, your sides, your shoulder, or your ankles.

Long exhalation by emptying out all the air may be the smartest and most effective way of detoxing our bodies. Your lungs become clear, your blood vessels are filled with fresh oxygen, and our metabolism will increase. When you squeeze the core, your spine naturally becomes straight, your small and large intestines are massaged, and toxins stuck in between the muscles and the organs are being pushed out. You can do these breathing exercises while driving, sitting in offices, or standing in a line at grocery stores. No one will notice what you’re doing (unless you make strange exhalation sounds) while you are burning away unnecessary fat and toning your muscles.

A patient who followed this exercise regimen reported that she lost 5 pounds and two inches around the waist in a week, with no diet change. I am extremely interested in hearing some real experience-based stories. if you are really serious of weight loss, please call the office so that we can set up an effective strategy.

The picture illustrated here is a Japanese actor, Miki Ryosuke who invented a famous exercise program called “Long Breathing Diet.” After suffering from lower back pain for years, he started doing breathing exercises recommended by his doctor. After a few weeks, he discovered that not only his lower back pain diminished, his weight went down rapidly. In 50 days, he lost a whopping 28 pounds and 5 inches around his waist line. He fine-tuned these techniques to maximize the fat burning process, while toning the entire body.

Similar exercise programs based on breathing such as Oxycise have been around in the US for some time. All of these breathing exercises rely on the one principle– Oxygen is the key to burn fat, not humping and pumping. Since fat is made up of oxygen, carbon dioxide and water, when the oxygen we breathe reaches the fat molecules, it breaks them down into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide–the waste product of the bodies– is then picked up by the blood stream which returns to to the lungs to be exhaled. Therefore, the more oxygen our bodies use, the more fat will be burned. Long breathing exercises are especially helpful in burning stomach fat.

According to the latest report, the USA has the highest obesity rate in the entire world, with more than 70 percent of population struggle with weight issues. Diet changes, rigorous exercises, and other lifestyle changes–all are great in losing weights, but they also require pretty big mental, financial, and physical investments. There’s the easiest, safest, cheapest and healthiest way not only to lose weight, but to improve all of your body functions, just through “long breathing.”

I’ve been practicing this exercise daily and realized many unexpected benefits: I was able to breathe deeper and longer, my sinus cleared up, my waistline got smaller, my digestive functions improved, and all the muscles in the lower and upper body became very well toned. It really is so easy to do–you can do this exercise anywhere (even when you’re driving, or sitting on a chair at office), anytime. This exercise program will also lift your mood, make you feel empowered, at the same, deeply relaxed.

For the past five years, I’ve done this program every spring. Somehow, I’ve felt that it was exceptionally difficult this year. This time around, I embarked on this program immediately after an overseas trip, and I was fighting a massive flu simultaneously. Regardless, I stood strong on my resolve and carried through 21 days.

Highlights of my experiences were:

Day 2: Massive headaches, nausea, body aches, eye pains (all of these are herxheimer reactions when the body is dumping toxins)

Day 3-7: Excessive sleepiness, dry mouth, skin eruptions.

Day 8-10: Sugar cravings, especially for carbohydrates.

Day 11-21: Increased bowel movements, increased urination, do not feel hungry, aversion to all forms of sugar including sweet fruits.

Benefits I’ve Experienced

Excellent lipid panel: My cholesterol level went down to 130 mg/dL from 200 mg/dL (I did blood work right before and after the program)

Weight loss especially around the midsection (I lost only 4 lbs as I am kind of under-weight; most people lose 7-15 lbs)

Clearer skin and a far less hair loss

No sugar cravings

No more bloating and gas

Better sleep

Much higher energy

Most importantly, emotional stability and positive attitudes

Who Needs Detoxification?

I can say with conviction that everyone needs to detoxify their body regularly as we all are continuously exposed to external and internal toxins. This program will be extremely helpful for those who have: blood pressure issues, fatty liver, kidney malfunctions, frequent urinary tract infections, food and environmental allergies, digestive issues including ulcer or irritable bowels, hormonal disorders, anxiety and moodiness, arthritis, chronic fatigue, and sleep disorders.Well, I think that covers pretty much everyone.